To Be Queen
by NEIWIS
Summary: Hylla's entire life has been spent protecting her younger sister. Every move made was designed to prevent the two from falling into the chaotic life of a demigod, but that chaos seemed to follow them wherever they went. When they parted way, Hylla decided to join the Amazons. She hoped to gain stability that her life lacked. Hylla never knew how much her life was going to change.
1. First Day

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Rick Riordan.**

 **This will follow Hylla's first day of joining the Amazons to a little after she becomes Queen.**

* * *

"My name is Hylla Ramirez Arellano," the eighteen year old began. She glanced around the room and caught her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes held a hardness in them that had been there ever since her home had been destroyed by pirates. Her black hair was in a ponytail which helped hide how dirty it was.

"Middle name," the woman in front of her questioned. She had on a black jumpsuit. A purple bracelet sat on her wrist. The woman had brown hair and brown eyes.

"I don't have one," Hylla admitted. She looked around at the rest of the office. There was a desk in front of her. Numerous bookshelves lined the wooden walls of the room. A window was eight feet from her location. It would not be hard to get to, but the fall was a few stories.

"May I have your hand?" the woman questioned. Hylla glanced up at her. She read the name tag that the woman had. Jessica.

"Why?" Hylla asked.

"She really does want your hand. We keep them as souvenirs," the girl behind her said. Hylla could hear that she was fighting a smile. The girl behind her had auburn hair and bright, blue eyes. They reminded Hylla of the sky.

"We just need a small blood sample," Jessica replied. She pulled out a bronze knife.

"Fingerprints would be a better alternative," Hylla argued. Her own weapons had been confiscated, but she figured she could take on the two woman. Jessica was the oldest; however, she lacked the movements of a fighter. The other girl did not have a weapon on her.

"It's a special test," the girl behind her explained. She sounded closer than before.

"To see if I am a demigod?" Hylla guessed. She received a nod from Jessica. "I am a demigod. A daughter of Bellona to be exact."

"A war goddess? That's great news," the girl behind Hylla commented.

"It's interesting news," Jessica replied. She gave Hylla a new look. It was one that said Hylla could be a threat. "Hylla, correct? Tell us about your past."

"Where do you want me to begin?" Hylla wondered. She was already forming a lie. Jessica seemed to consider the question.

"Where were you born?" Jessica questioned.

"Puerto Rico," Hylla answered. She considered for a moment if she should elaborate. If she did, she would be forced to tell them about her sister. There was no way to avoid the subject though. "I lived there with my sister and my father."

"What made you come to the United States?" Jessica wondered. "Did your father ship you off. Did you receive a calling? Dreams are the most likely source. Ever get the feeling you should go to a place called the wolf house?"

"No," Hylla answered honestly. "My sister and I left Puerto Rico after my father was murdered."

"How?" Jessica asked. She leaned forward and seemed to study Hylla intently. "Did you take revenge for these murders?"

"No. I have no clue who did it," Hylla lied. "My sister and I were sent out of the house that night. My father told us that he had private business. I decided to sneak back home. What I found was two masked men beating my father."

"When I tried to intervene, one of them hit me hard in the head. I had enough sense to bring up my arms before he could crush my skull with his baseball bat. My father told me to run. I did. As I left the house, I heard a gunshot," Hylla explained.

Hylla was forced to close her eyes as the real memories ran through her head. The fight with her father. Being knocked out. Waking up to her little sister standing in shock and having a panic attack

Reyna had been holding a sword in her hand. Tears were pouring down her face. She had looked at her older sister and started trying to beg for forgiveness. Hylla had just grabbed her and comforted her.

"You came here after that," the girl behind Hylla guessed. It snapped Hylla out of her memories.

"No," Hylla responded. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I took my little sister, and we boarded a cruise ship."

"Illegally?" Jessica interrupted.

"Illegally," Hylla confirmed. She relaxed in her seat. "The ship ended up sinking. My sister and I took a rescue boat and washed ashore Circe's island."

"The witch Circe?" Jessica asked incredulously.

"She took us under her wing. I was an attendant and excelled. She gave my sister and I magical training. My sister despised it. I didn't," Hylla explained.

Hylla felt anger in her chest. Magic was a reason that her and Reyna had so many fights since they left Circe's island. Her little sister refused to believe that magic could be more than just evil.

"There was two people who came to the island and ruined our lives," Hylla continued. "The boy was turned into a rodent and put with the other pests. The girl refused Circe's generous offer and resisted her magic. She somehow changed all of the men back."

"Who were these men?" Jessica questioned.

"Blackbeard's crew," Hylla responded in a low voice. "I managed to fight a few off until Blackbeard himself stopped me. He knocked me unconscious. I woke as they were dragging us onto the pirate ship."

Hylla fell silent as anger burned in her chest. She remembered how Blackbeard had her sister whipped. It was two things. The first was a message to Hylla that he would do a lot worst if she didn't step in line. The second was a Blackbeard saying if I am going to do this to her for doing nothing, what will I do to you for incompetence?

"We were forced to work as slaves. Blackbeard and his men were twisted by hatred. They wanted revenge for all those years trapped as rodents," Hylla explained. "The pirates took their anger out on everyone."

"One day, I put a stop to it. Two pirates were harassing one of the attendants. She had been crippled since birth. I got tired of it and stood up to the pirate. They beat the crap out of me," Hylla continued.

"I did manage to fight back. Blackbeard saw this. Instead of making me an example of me or killing me, he offered me to be able to prove myself as a pirate."

"You became a pirate?" the girl behind Hylla asked.

"Quit Kinzie," Jessica said. "Let Hylla finish her story."

"I worked hard to be a pirate. My sister proved her worth and was right by my side. We worked together on pirate jobs. I did my best to become everyone's friend. The crew all started to like and respect me," Hylla said.

"Blackbeard saw the coup coming long before I thought of it. He had me called into my office. Blackbeard asked me where I wanted to be dropped off. He feared I would lead the crew in mutiny. I told him that my sister and I would like to be dropped off at the nearest place in the United States," Hylla finished.

"So, he dropped you off here. You came to us. Your sister went where?" Jessica asked. It was clear she knew the answer.

"Camp Jupiter," Hylla said. She crossed her arms like it was no big deal. Jessica silently wrote on a pad. She nodded to Kinzie.

"Welcome to the Amazons Hylla. There are a few ground rules and regulations we need to go through," Jessica said. "First, the owner of the Amazons is actually the queen. The public sees a figurehead, and they have no clue what goes on behind the scenes."

"Second, you are going to work your way up. You will start with training. Inventory is after that. Then, we will put you where we think is best depending on your skills," Jessica explained.

"Now, you will notice that everyone here wears a bracelet," Jessica said. "It is an identifying mark. Purple means that you have a Roman deity as your parent. Orange is Greek. Blue means that something else is your parent."

"Black is mortals who know about demigods. Green means they can also see through the mist. White means they are a mortal who knows nothing about the world of demigods," Kinzie added.

Hylla glanced back. She looked at the bracelet Kinzie had on. It was blue. Hylla spoke, "Who are your parents?"

"My mother is a wind nymph," Kinzie responded. "I assume I will also be your guide."

"You have assumed correctly," Jessica said as she stood. "Kinzie will teach you everything that you will need to know."

Hylla nodded silently. It was a lot to take in. She had accomplished her goal though. The daughter of Bellona grabbed the purple bracelet that was pushed towards her. She quietly put it on.

"Today, you will shadow Kinzie to get a feel of the facility. It will take a long time to memorize every corridor," Jessica warned. "You will room with Kinzie, and she will help you with anything you need. Welcome sister."

"It's a honor to join," Hylla said. Jessica waved a hand to show they were dismissed. Kinzie grabbed Hylla's arm and led her out of the room.

"That wasn't the queen," Hylla guessed. Kinzie laughed like the idea amused her. She looked at Hylla and smirked.

"No. That was the loyal lapdog of someone else. There's a lot you need to learn," Kinzie commented.

"I'm ready to learn," Hylla promised.

"Good. If you're tired, I would take a nap before tonight," Kinzie suggested.

"Why?" Hylla questioned. She looked around the long hallway that she was being led through. There was doors that led to what Hylla assumed was offices.

"Tonight is special. You'll want to be awake at midnight," Kinzie explained. When Hylla shot her a confused look, Kinzie smirked. "You picked a good day to join. Tonight, there is going to be a duel to the death."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.**


	2. A New Day

"Newbie coming through!" Kinzie called as she shoved past the crowd of Amazons trying to get to the front. Hylla followed her silently. Some of the Amazons glanced at her. Others didn't pay attention.

Hylla had spent the day trying to memorize the long hallways and large passages. All she really remembered was how much merchandise the Amazons had. There was large shelves everywhere she went.

"What's going on?" Hylla questioned. She ran a hand through her wet hair. Hylla had just finished taking a shower. She had been given camouflage pants and a black shirt to wear.

Hylla felt Kinzie stop her as they reached the edge of the crowd. They had the perfect view of two women. One was wearing all black. She had a golden belt made of interlocking chains. Hylla spoke, "Who is that?"

"The queen of the Amazons. Well, that title won't hold true after a few more minutes," Kinzie replied in a whisper. Hylla hide her confusion and crossed her arms.

"What exactly is going on?" Hylla asked.

"The first thing that you learn about the Amazons is that they respect strength. Our queen must be the strongest out of all of us," Kinzie replied. "Anyone could challenge the queen for her title. Of course, it is a duel to the death."

"There are a few rules. First, there can be no outside help. No one can jump into the middle of a battle to save their buddy. The second is that the queen must take her belt off and place it on her throne," Kinzie explained.

"Why?" Hylla wondered. She watched the queen take off her belt with a shaky hand. "She's nervous."

"No, she's weak," Kinzie corrected. "There are not many people who like are current queen. She is a bloodthirsty child of Ares. There have been rumors that she has even had skirmishes with Camp Jupiter. That's not something we need."

"Why tolerate it for so long?" Hylla asked in a whisper.

"She was a great fighter. That was until she received her shoulder injury during her last duel. It's left her sword arm weak. Our queen used to rule by fear. Now, she isn't going to rule at all," Kinzie explained.

"The challenger doesn't look like much of a fighter," Hylla commented. She looked at the woman standing next to the group of girls. She had blonde hair and gray eyes. The challenger had to be in her twenties.

"A daughter of Athena. Brains not brawn," Kinzie whispered. "She is popular among the Amazons. That is why everyone wants her to win."

"You're not one of them," Hylla guessed in a low voice. Kinzie nodded once. "Are there any other rules?"

"Any weapons or powers from your godly parent are allowed. The queen can't have her belt because it boosts her regular attributes. It's suppose to be a fair fight," Kinzie replied.

"So, whoever wins can just walk over to the throne and take the belt?" Hylla questioned. She received a nod. "Why midnight?"

"Amazons like to live life to the fullest. Everyday is a new day for them. Midnight begins a new day, right? Well, it might also mean a new day for the Amazons in the form of a new queen," Kinzie responded. "Now, let's watch the fight."

Hylla frowned but fell silent. She watched the queen of the Amazons lay her belt on a throne. The queen turned towards her challenger and spoke, "It will be a cold day in Hades when you take over Emma."

"I hope Hades is ready to freeze then," the challenger, Emma, replied. She calmly unsheathed a bronze sword.

"Have any mortals ever been the queen of the Amazons?" Hylla whispered.

Kinzie shot her an annoyed look and spoke, "You like to talk, don't you? There's been a few mortals. The most memorable one is when the queen forgot they were facing a mortal and came to a fight with a bronze sword."

"Mortals can't be harmed by that type of sword," Hylla guessed. Kinzie nodded. Hylla focused back on the fight. The queen of the Amazons was on the defensive. It was clear that her old shoulder wound was hurting her.

"What's her name?" Hylla whispered.

"I am going to find some duct tape and tape your mouth shut," Kinzie commented. She looked at Hylla and winked to show she was kidding. "Her name is Diablo."

"You're messing with me," Hylla said.

"I'm just giving you my perception of reality," Kinzie countered. She winked at Hylla. The daughter of Bellona crossed her arms. "Does the name matter if she is going to be dead soon?"

Hylla glanced up to see the queen dodge an attack. The queen was on the defensive and looked nervous. Emma looked confident but was not taking any chances. Hylla gazed at the crowd and saw a few Amazons glaring at Kinzie.

"Who are they?" Hylla questioned. She made a small motion towards the group of Amazons.

"Supporters of Emma. They don't like me much," Kinzie answered.

"If Emma wins, could she do anything to harm you?" Hylla asked.

"She can't walk up to me and stab me," Kinzie responded. "But, she could just give me the horrible and dangerous jobs. It probably wasn't smart to make her mad. She might even take some of it out on you."

"Let her try," Hylla said. She wasn't worried. If Hylla could survive pirates, she could survive whatever petty thing the queen of the Amazons may do.

Hylla inwardly winced as Emma stabbed the queen of the Amazons in the thigh. It would have been the stomach if the queen didn't move. Kinzie looked nervous as she watched.

It wasn't hard for Hylla to predict what was going to happen. She had been in enough fights to know what a wounded enemy looked like. Most would crack under the pressure and make a dangerous bid.

That is exactly what the queen of the Amazons did. She lunged forward with a war cry. Emma stepped to the side and tripped her opponent. She placed a foot on the queen's back.

Emma looked around and smiled. She placed her sword to the back of the neck of her opponent. Emma raised her sword and brought it down for the decisive blow. Kinzie made a face and spoke, "I hope she doesn't carry the head with her."

"That's gross," Kinzie complained as she seemed to think about it.

"You're the one who brought it up," Hylla commented. Kinzie turned away looking pale. Hylla watched Emma raise the decapitated head of the former queen of the Amazons. Most of the Amazons around Hylla broke into cheers for their new queen, or they were just excited because of the fight.

"Why would you join the Amazons if this kind of stuff disgusts you?" Hylla asked quietly.

"Where do you come from for this to be normal?" Kinzie demanded. She looked ready to lose her dinner.

"Pirates," Hylla answered calmly. She looked at Kinzie and smirked. "If they want to keep the head as a trophy, they should put it on ice."

That comment almost caused Kinzie to vomit. She turned and pushed through the crowd. Hylla laughed. She turned back towards Emma. The new queen of the Amazons grabbed her belt and looked around.

Hylla went to walk away. She found two Amazons blocking her path. They smiled at her. One spoke, "You are the new Amazon, correct?"

"Yes," Hylla answered. She watched them suspiciously.

"Kinzie is showing you around?" the other asked.

"What about it?" Hylla demanded. She crossed her arms. "I don't have anytime to waste today."

"None of us do," the first Amazon agreed. "It's a new day for all of us. That is why Emma wants a meeting with you."

"Meeting?" Hylla questioned. "I'm new here. Why would she want a meeting with me?"

"Bellona is a very respected goddess for the Amazons. Emma just wanted to meet her daughter," the other Amazon replied. Hylla nodded once. She knew it was because Emma saw her as a threat. The daughter of a war goddess would make a good ally or a dangerous enemy.

"When does she want this meeting?" Hylla asked crossing her arms.

"After Kinizie tests you tomorrow. We want you to deliver her full report," one of the Amazons replied. She smiled at Hylla.

"Of course," Hylla said. She watched the two Amazons walk away. Hylla turned back to look at the new queen of the Amazons. Emma was being congratulated by her fellows Amazons.

Emma scanned the crowd and caught Hylla's eyes. She gave her a bright smile. Hylla just studied her and felt movement near her.

"You should go get some sleep," Kinzie commented. Hylla glanced at her. Kinzie wiped her mouth. "We have a big day tomorrow."

"We do," Hylla agreed. "I feel like I'm in a game."

"A game of what?" Kinzie wondered.

"Politica," Hylla answered. Kinzie gave her an odd look. Hylla gritted her teeth. There was still a few English words that she struggled with. "I don't know the English word for it. The government participates in it."

"Politics," Kinzie guessed. "You're in a game of politics. What makes you say that?"

"Emma wants a meeting with me tomorrow," Hylla answered. "I assume it isn't pleasure."

"You never know," Kinzie joked. She turned serious after a moment. "You should just go with it. You really don't want to be on the bad side of the queen of the Amazons."

"Why do I get the feeling that I will get on her bad side no matter what?" Hylla muttered. She shook her head and followed Kinzie to the room that they shared.

"Nothing you can do about it. The worse case scenario is that she kills you," Kinzie said. Hylla turned to stare at her. Kinzie smiled wickedly. "That was for making me vomit."


	3. Queen Emma

"Does it matter what weapon I use?" Hylla questioned as she stepped into the armory. It was like a dream come true. The walls of the room were covered in all types of weapons. Hylla's attention immediately focused on the javelins and axes.

"Nope. Until you have your own weapon, you're just borrowing from here," Kinzie answered. She crossed her arms and watched Hylla. The daughter of Bellona slowly walked around the room examining each weapon with care.

"Where would I get my own weapon from?" Hylla asked. She picked up a sword and examined it. Unbalanced. Hylla put it back.

"You can make it yourself. Take it from monsters you kill. Your mother might give you a weapon," Kinzie responded. She was holding a clipboard and a pen.

Hylla nodded and tried to think. She was use to dual wielding because of the pirates. Her mother was a war goddess though. Hylla was confident that she could grab any weapon and use it easily. She finally settled on a sword that was semi-balanced and a dagger.

"Ready?" Kinzie asked. Hylla nodded. "Good. Follow me."

Kinzie led Hylla out of the armory and into the connecting room. Hylla's breath was instantly taken away. The training room was gigantic. There was a climbing wall all the way across the room. A boxing ring was directly to Hylla's left.

Hylla stared as Kinzie led her to a mat that had suspicious red stains on it. Hylla did not have to guess what that was. She turned to face Kinzie who just pulled a sword out of thin air.

"We are just going to fight until one of us is disarmed," Kinzie said. She circled around Hylla. The daughter of Bellona suddenly lunged forward. She put all of her weight into one attack. Kinzie dodged and tripped her.

Hylla stood and angrily attacked. Kinzie caught her blade and disarmed her. Hylla stared for a few moments.

"Round one goes to me," Kinzie commented. "Let round two begin."

Hylla scooped up her sword and attacked. Kinzie blocked the blow. The two went back and forth for half a minute before Hylla was disarmed. She was really starting to get pissed off.

Kinzie handed Hylla her sword and studied her. Hylla glared and attacked. She used every bit of skill she had. Kinzie was easily able to block everything.

As they fought, Hylla felt an autopilot start to take over. It was the same autopilot that tried to take over when she was fighting pirates or on jobs for them. Hylla forced herself to ignore it. Circe had told her that it was something she should always ignore.

Hylla didn't even realize she had been disarmed until Kinzie's sword was against her neck. Hylla cursed angrily and pushed Kinzie away. She grabbed her sword.

"You did good," Kinzie complimented. She grabbed the clipboard and wrote on it. "You know that you just need training."

"I don't need training," Hylla argued. "I'm a daughter of Bellona. It should come naturally to me."

"It will after you train," Kinzie promised. "Whenever you fight, it's good to have your battle instincts take over."

"Does it feel like an autopilot?" Hylla wondered. Kinzie nodded. "Circe always told me that I shouldn't rely on that."

"It makes sense that she would think that," Kinzie said. "Circe probably relied on magic and didn't like actual fighting. You have to be really focused when using magic, right?"

"Rule number one of magic is to not rely on instincts," Hylla said. She walked with Kinzie back to the armory and put the weapons back. She tried to find something that would work for her.

"How much do you weigh?" Kinzie asked. Hylla gave her a look before slowly answering the question. "No surprise that you're so underweight since you were on a pirate ship. We'll have to bulk you up. I don't need to guess your height since you're about as tall as me."

"One more thing," Kinzie said. She leaned in close. "Can you do magic?"

"Yes," Hylla answered.

"Emma is going to ask you this question. I'm not sure how you should answer her. She might see you as a threat," Kinzie whispered.

"Thank you," Hylla muttered. Kinzie smirked and led her out of the armory. Hylla followed her new friend as she focused on the twists and turns they were making. She would never memorize any of the corridors at this rate.

Kinzie stopped outside of an office. She handed Hylla the clipboard and spoke, "Good luck."

"I'll see you at breakfast," Hylla promised.

"That's if she decides not to kill you," Kinzie joked. She walked away. Hylla turned towards the door and raised her hand to knock. She smirked and just opened the door.

"That doesn't mean she isn't dangerous," Emma argued. She was looking at two Amazons that stood in front of her. The two Amazons turned towards Hylla. One of them was Jessica. Hylla didn't recognize the other.

Emma stood from her chair and studied Hylla. The queen of the Amazons spoke, "Have you ever learned how to knock?"

"I've been living with pirates for awhile," Hylla responded. "I lost my manners along the way."

"Knock next time," Emma ordered. Hylla raised a hand and gently knocked on the door. She saw Emma's eye twitch.

"You wanted to see me," Hylla said walking towards Emma. She tossed the clipboard down. "You don't really make every new recruit go through this bullshit do you?"

"I would watch your tone," Emma said.

"Why?" Hylla wondered. "Are you going to send me on the dangerous missions? The ones where if I survive, I win the respect of the Amazons. I might even just gain enough support to overthrow you."

"You're extremely confident for someone who just joined the Amazons," Emma commented. She walked towards Hylla and stared her down. "I would watch your tone."

Hylla remained silent. Emma nodded to her two Amazons who left the room. Emma looked back at Hylla and spoke, "I think we could be friends."

"Really?" Hylla questioned. She crossed her arms.

"Since you're new, you don't understand how things work around here," Emma whispered. "I am the boss. I have been for a few months now. The title was just added last night."

"Technically this morning," Hylla interrupted.

"You're a real smart ass," Emma commented. She motioned to her right. "Do you see that?"

Hylla turned her head. She suddenly found herself pinned to Emma's desk with a knife digging into her neck. The tip of Emma's knife was resting against her pulse.

"I don't appreciate being insulted in my own office," Emma whispered in Hylla's ear. "You can try to act as tough as you want. I don't care. Everyone is the same. They hide their real self behind a mask."

"What kind of mask do you wear?" Emma wondered. "The move from attendant to pirate must have been jarring. You just took it in stride. I wonder something. How much of a cold blooded killer are you?"

"Your daddy supposedly died because some random men killed him," Emma whispered. Hylla glared at her. "I think there is more to that. I think you killed your father. There are Romans here that wouldn't take too kindly to that."

"I didn't place a hand on my father," Hylla promised.

"Swear on the River Styx," Emma hissed. Hylla glared at her.

"I swear on the River Styx that I did not kill my father. Now, remove the knife from my neck," Hylla said. Emma pulled away and stood. She sheathed the knife and studied Hylla.

"You can be very beneficial," Emma said. She sat on her desk. "If you can change your attitude."

"Beneficial how?" Hylla questioned. She crossed her arms.

"A daughter of Bellona who has a background in magic. It's not that hard," Emma answered. "If you ever disrespect me again, I will have you beaten within an inch of your life. That may not scare you, but you do have a little sister to look out for."

Hylla grabbed Emma by her shirt and spoke, "Don't you dare do anything to harm her."

"I have friends at Camp Jupiter," Emma said with a smile. "I can make your sister's life a living hell."

"You're bluffing," Hylla muttered. "You're a Greek. That's a Roman camp."

"They don't know I am Greek," Emma explained. "Let go of me or else."

Hylla glared angrily. She let go of Emma who had a smug look. Hylla wanted to punch that look right off of her. The daughter of Bellona spoke, "What do you want?"

"You are going to keep my enemies are in check. You will make friends with them and report their actions to me. That includes your friend Kinzie. If I say jump, you ask how high. Understood?" Emma questioned.

Hylla gritted her teeth. Despite that fact that her and Reyna had parted ways, Hylla was still protecting her younger sister. She finally spoke, "Understood."

"Understood ma'am," Emma corrected.

"Understood ma'am," Hylla repeated through gritted teeth. Emma smirked,

"I expect a report at the end of every week," Emma said. She motioned for Hylla to leave. Hylla turned and placed a hand on the doorknob. "Oh, one more thing."

"What?" Hylla asked in a low voice. She didn't look at Emma, but she could imagine the smirk on the queen's face.

"As of now, you are my bitch," Emma said. Hylla opened the door and stalked out. She slammed the door close and punched a wall. Hylla instantly regretted the move as her knuckles broke. Concrete walls were not meant to be punched.

Hylla took a few deep breaths. She glanced back at the door to Emma's office. Hylla was still pissed at Reyna for when they had parted, but Emma had crossed a line. Threatening family was the number one way to get on top of Hylla's to kill list. For now, the daughter of Bellona would just have to play Emma's game.


	4. Bellatrix

Hylla's first week wasn't the best. She spent most of the time learning where everything was. She also met some of Kinzie's friends. They were nice to Hylla, but their hesitation was clear.

Kinzie would spar every morning with Hylla. She pushed the daughter of Bellona to her limit. Hylla noticed how quickly her skills were improving. The actual time with the Amazons was the best.

The worst part was the visit with the doctor and dentist. Half of Hylla's week had been spent at the doctor's office. She had been poked and prodded by almost every instrument in the world.

The dentist wasn't much better. Hylla had a few cavities, and the dentist gave her a long lecture about it. Hylla made a few comments about pirates not having toothbrushes. The dentist had then given her a shot that made it impossible to speak.

Hylla sighed as looked down at the report that she was suppose to give to Emma. There wasn't anything interesting. The only thing she wrote was that Kinzie had trained her. She refused to write about the doctor and dentist.

"What are you writing?" Kinzie questioned. Hylla closed the notebook. She went back to eating her food. Kinzie raised an eyebrow and sat across from her.

"A letter to my sister," Hylla lied. She focused on her food.

"Do you think she has already made her way to Camp Jupiter?" Kinzie asked.

"What do you mean?" Hylla questioned. She slowly looked at her friend.

"I've been to Camp Jupiter a few times before to deliver supplies to them. They have all their new campers visit the goddess Lupa and get trained by her. If they fail, they get eaten," Kinzie explained.

Hylla stared for a few moments. Kinzie noticed her look and quickly spoke, "I'm sure your sister will be fine."

"Yeah," Hylla muttered. She pushed her food away. "Ready for training?"

"You're on a delivery today," Kinzie answered. She glanced at Hylla's plate. "Are you done eating?"

"Go ahead," Hylla answered. Kinzie smirked and dumped the rest of Hylla's food on top of hers. She went back to eating. It was almost hypnotic to watch. Kinzie had an endless appetite and blamed it on a fast metabolism.

"Tell me about this delivery job," Hylla said. She took a sip of her coffee.

"It's really simple. Part of the training. We are going to drop off some boxed supplies at a dock. We probably have to carry the supplies onto the ship. It's a simple job really."

"I hate ships," Hylla commented. She knew that was why Emma picked the assignment for her. "How many of us are going?"

"You and I will be in one truck. Do you have your license?" Kinzie questioned. Hylla shook her head. "I'll be driving then. You get to pick the music."

"We have two of Emma's friends on the other truck," Kinzie continued. "We are delivering weapons and Greek fire. I hope we don't crash."

"Isn't Greek fire one of the most dangerous substances in the world?" Hylla questioned. Kinzie nodded and smiled. Hylla could just imagine her fiery and explosive death. "Wonderful."

"We leave after we eat. You need to run and get a weapon from the armory. It's a precaution because we never know if monsters will attack," Kinzie said.

"Can I just get a weapon now?" Hylla wondered. Kinzie nodded. Hylla stood and grabbed the notebook. She hurried towards her room and slipped the notebook under her pillow.

Hylla took a deep breath and walked towards the armory. She grabbed a sword and a belt that had a scabbard on it. It only took a few seconds to put on the belt. Hylla walked back towards Kinzie.

Kinzie waved to her and put their plates up. Hylla walked towards her and spoke, "I wasn't gone that long. How did you manage to eat that quickly?"

"It's a talent," Kinzie answered. She grabbed Hylla's arm and led her away. "There is something special coming next week."

"Which is?" Hylla wondered. She did her best to memorize the path that they were walking. Hylla stopped as she saw the truck they would be in.

"I love semi trucks," Kinzie commented. "Anyway, we have two days off. I didn't think you would have anywhere to go, so would you like to hang out with me?"

Hylla hesitated. She didn't remember when the last time that she had just hanged out was. After a minute of silence, she nodded. Kinzie watched her.

"Am I that repulsive?" Kinzie wondered.

"No," Hylla said. She looked away awkwardly. Kinzie started to laugh. Hylla sighed and glared at her friend.

"You should see how embarrassed you look," Kinzie joked. "It's cool if you don't want to go. I wouldn't stay around here though."

"I do," Hylla interrupted. "It's just been awhile."

Kinzie nodded. Hylla turned as she saw a forklift carrying a large amount of small boxes towards them. A boy in the an orange jumpsuit was operating the forklift.

Hylla knew that the Amazons didn't like boys. They never did. Hylla shared the feeling. Circe was the one who had implanted the idea, but it wasn't that hard to convince Hylla. All the men in Hylla's life had hurt her in one way or another.

"Newbie!" an Amazon yelled. Hylla snapped out of her thoughts and stepped out of the way of the forklift. A woman walked towards her. The Amazon had to be a few years older than Hylla.

"Do you understand what a forklift is?" the woman demanded. She towered over Hylla and was much buffer. The woman seemed content to talk down to her. Hylla took that as a challenge.

"Is that a forklift?" Hylla questioned as she pointed at the semi truck. The woman glared at her. She had brown hair and cruel, brown eyes.

"Hylla," Kinzie began. She grabbed Hylla's arm. "I don't think now is the best time. We should really get everything loaded."

"I suggest you listen to your friend," the woman sneered. Hylla clenched her fist. She always had anger issues, and this woman was pushing it. Kinzie grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"You do not want to get on her bad side," Kinzie whispered. "Please, can we just load everything and leave?"

Hylla nodded. She bit her tongue and watched the forklift lower the boxes. It backed away. Kinzie smiled at her and picked up a box. The other woman opened the back of semi truck. Hylla silently picked up a box.

It only took a few moments to get all of the boxes loaded. They were extremely careful with the boxes that were labeled danger. As they finished loading the boxes, Hylla glanced at Kinzie. She spoke, "This looks like supplies for a war."

"I just know that we are dropping it off to the ship. My guess is that the ship is some kind of base, or they are setting a base up on an island. It's useful for demigods that have to go on quests," Kinzie explained. "Sea monsters love to ruin a demigod's day."

Hylla nodded. She watched the woman seal up the semi truck and walk towards them. The woman spoke, "Don't screw this up newbie."

"I don't plan on it," Hylla said. She dug her nails into her hands to keep from getting angry at the woman. Kinzie grabbed her and led her towards the semi.

"Who is that?" Hylla grumbled.

"Bellatrix," Kinzie answered. "She's a daughter of Ares who can kill you before you blink. I'm begging you to leave her alone. Don't get involved with her, and do your best to avoid being you around her."

"A smart ass?" Hylla guessed. She received a nod. Hylla opened the passenger door of the semi truck and sat inside it. She closed the door and looked around.

It took Kinzie a minute to get into the driver's seat. That was also the same amount of time that it took for Hylla to get bored. She picked two pens off of the ground and had a sword fight against herself.

Kinzie placed an iPod down by her and spoke, "I did say you get to pick the music. I have a bunch of bands on here."

"What is the name of the ship we are dropping the supplies off at?" Hylla wondered. She looked through the iPod.

"The Princess Andromeda," Kinzie answered. "You know the Greek myth about her, right? She was chained to a rock after her family angered Aphrodite. The goddess asked Poseidon to punish them. There was a sea monster, and Andromeda got chained to a rock before being rescued."

"That's a stupid name for a ship," Hylla commented. "Know anything else about it?"

"Nope," Kinzie replied."The Amazons don't really get information about our demigod clients. You would think that the Olympians would give us heads up. There was this one time where we walked straight into a monster's trap. Our queen actually went to Olympus to yell at Zeus."

"He didn't take too kindly to that," Hylla guessed.

"She was turned into a pile of ash," Kinzie confirmed. "Anyway, nothing bad will happen on this trip. It's just your standard delivery. Go ahead and put some music on. We have a long drive ahead of us."


	5. The Princess Andromeda

"Wakey wakey," a voice called. Hylla slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Kinzie and slowly stretched. Kinzie handed her a bag. "This holds the holy grail known as fast food."

"I know what that is," Hylla said. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. It was turning dark outside. Hylla didn't know how long she had been asleep.

"You haven't tasted it in America though," Kinzie corrected. "You are in for a treat my friend."

Hylla rolled her eyes. She opened the bag and ate a few fries. Her gaze turned to look out the window. They were on a highway, but she had no clue where they were. Hylla offered the bag to Kinzie.

Kinzie lifted up another bag. She opened it and started to eat. Kinzie spoke, "We aren't that far from our destination. Eat fast."

"Do Amazons ever go on quests?" Hylla wondered. "There was a few visitor's to Circe's island that were on quests. I'm not sure if Amazons do that though."

"It depends really," Kinzie answered. She glanced at Hylla but focused back on the road. "Sometimes, a godly parent might send an Amazon on a quest. We mostly receive quests from minor gods who don't feel like they can go to the camps and receive help."

"I'm guessing the two camps don't know about each other because they would fight," Hylla said after a moment of silence. She grabbed her hamburger and started to eat. Kinzie handed her a milkshake. Hylla stared at her. "Are you trying to get me fat?"

"Treat yourself," Kinzie answered. "Besides, you need to bulk up. We're going to get you to the gym after this."

Hylla raised an eyebrow but didn't complain. She got free food, and that was all that mattered. Hylla spoke, "Why would I need a gym?"

"We can box," Kinzie said. "I will if you promise not to kill me."

"You've convinced me," Hylla said. She went back to her food as Kinzie pulled off of the highway. Hylla looked off in the distance as she ate. "Anything else I need to know about the delivery?"

"You just need to keep your mouth shut," Kinzie responded. "We have a really strict code that we're suppose to follow when it comes to delivering items to other demigods."

Hylla nodded and looked out the window. She stared as she saw a large, white ship. It was almost beautiful, but she could just feel something was off even from that far away. Kinzie pulled up near the docks.

"Ready?" Kinzie asked. Hylla nodded and finished her food. She stepped out of the semi and brushed the crumbs from her clothes. Two men walked towards them. They both wore black and purple armor.

"We need to inspect the shipment before you unload it," one of the men said. He had shaggy black hair and brown eyes. The other one was shorter and had blond hair and blue eyes.

"Of course," Kinzie began. She held a clipboard. "After inspection, we will need you to sign that everything is satisfactory."

"Drake," the first one said. "Go inspect the other truck."

Hylla glanced at Kinzie who motioned for her to open the back of the semi. The two did it silently. Kinzie jumped off of the truck and turned. A curse left her mouth. Hylla turned to see Bellatrix walking towards.

"I thought the other truck had Emma's friends," Hylla whispered.

"They were suppose to be here," Kinzie answered. "Bellatrix controls all of the deliveries though. She never really goes unless she expects trouble."

"Or, she wants to harass a newbie," Hylla muttered. She looked at the cruise ship and frowned. There was a few families walking around. That was when the bad feeling got worse.

"You okay?" Kinzie asked.

"Why are there children on that ship?" Hylla questioned. "They look like mortals."

Kinzie frowned. She tilted her head as she watched the families on the ship. Kinzie spoke, "I'm willing to bet that those are mortals. That's really weird."

"What's weird?" Bellatrix questioned as she walked towards them.

"Mortals on the ship," Kinzie answered. "Why would that ship need war supplies?"

"How do you know they are mortals?" Bellatrix questioned. She crossed her arms. "They could be a large group of demigods trying to find a new home. They could mortals that are under heavy influence from the mist. Now, you two are going to shut up and do your jobs."

Hylla did her best not to glare. She turned back to watch the man finish his inspection. He spoke, "Everything looks good."

Kinzie jumped into the semi and grabbed a crowbar. She pried off the wood that was keeping multiple boxes together. Hylla jumped up next to her and carefully grabbed one of the smaller boxes. She walked towards the edge of the semi.

"Hand it over," Bellatrix ordered. Hylla bit her tongue and did as she was told. The urge for a sarcastic comment was overwhelming. Hylla handed her the box, and Bellatrix placed it on the ground. They continued the process until the semi was empty.

"You two will start carrying them on the ship," Bellatrix ordered. "Come back after you have loaded everything."

"Why is there so much Greek fire?" Hylla whispered to Kinzie. Her friend shrugged. The two each picked up a box and started to walk on the ship. As soon as Hylla's feet were on the deck, she felt seasick. It took all of her willpower not to vomit.

"Are you going to vomit?" Kinzie questioned. "That may come out of our paycheck."

"We have a paycheck?" Hylla slowly asked. Kinzie laughed and didn't answer. She sat the box down where Drake directed. Hylla walked back towards the semi. She could tell that she was in for a long day.

Hylla zoned out as she did her job. She noticed that Kinzie had earbuds in. Hylla made a mental note to interrogate Kinzie about it. As she went to pick up her tenth box, Bellatrix grabbed her.

"Can you handle explosives without blowing us all up?" Bellatrix whispered. Hylla turned to stare at her. Bellatrix glanced around and leaned in closer. "This ship is an enemy. We've been instructed to destroy it. The box in your hands contains explosives."

"You want me to put it near the Greek fire," Hylla whispered. Bellatrix nodded. Hylla gripped the box and walked towards the ship. She walked on it and set the box near the Greek fire.

"Are you Amazons almost done?" Drake demanded. He was counting the boxes and checking over them.

"It won't be long," Hylla answered. A million questions were running through her head, but she had to stay focused. Hylla walked towards the rest of the boxes and allowed her mind to go into autopilot.

It took a nerve wracking half of an hour to get everything loaded. Hylla kept thinking that Drake or the other man would look inside the box and see the explosives. She did her best to keep her attention off of it.

Hylla placed the last box on the ship. She glanced at the box of explosives and saw that it had been moved to fit on top of the other boxes. Besides that, it looked untouched. Hylla looked around and saw Drake leaning on one of the semis looking bored.

"Are we ready to go?" Hylla asked Kinzie as she stepped off of the ship. Kinzie nodded and motioned for Hylla to follow her. They both closed up their semi and walked towards Bellatrix.

"Did you know?" Hylla whispered. Kinzie shook her head. "I guess we know why Bellatrix came. Who are these guys though?"

"No clue," Kinzie whispered. They both fell silent as they made it to Bellatrix. She was writing into a clipboard.

"Kinzie," One of the other Amazons called. "Can you help close this piece of junk?"

"Why did we bring that piece of crap?" Kinzie complained. She walked towards the semi. Hylla turned to look at Drake. He was waiting patiently for Bellatrix to finish the paperwork.

Hylla bit the inside of her cheek. She winced as she heard a horrible grinding sound. Bellatrix spoke, "You'll get use to it. That's big Bertha. We've been through everything together."

"You named a truck?" Hylla asked. She raised an eyebrow.

"I built her myself," Bellatrix answered. She handed the clipboard to Drake. "Let's go."

Hylla walked towards her semi. Bellatrix followed behind her. Hylla spoke, "You're riding with us?"

"Do you have a problem?" Bellatrix questioned. Hylla shook her head and got into the semi. She sat in the middle and sighed. Hylla looked at the ground and became lost in thought. Kinzie jumping into the truck caught her attention.

Kinzie looked at them before starting the semi. She turned on her music silently. There was an odd look on her face.

"Newbie, you and I will report to Emma about the explosives. You just have to go in and tell her where you put it. We all get a nice bonus and can relax," Bellatrix said. She pulled the detonator out of her pocket.

"What about those families on the ship?" Kinzie questioned. She glared at Bellatrix "They had to be mortals."

"Casualties of war," Bellatrix answered. They drove in silence for a minute. Hylla watched Bellatrix's thumb rub the detonator.

"It's not right," Kinzie muttered. She looked up at road. Hylla looked at the other semi which was in front of them.

"Are we going to get into a discussion of morals?" Bellatrix questioned. Kinzie didn't respond. Bellatrix grunted, looked down at the detonator, and clicked it. The semi in front of them suddenly exploded. Kinzie slammed on the brakes, but it was no use. The last thing Hylla saw was the semi slam right into them.

* * *

Hylla's eyes slowly drifted open. She felt someone dragging her. Hylla manged to open her eyes long enough to see the destruction of the two semis. Her eyes closed after that but reopened a moment later.

Hylla slowly blinked as she heard a cry of pain. She glanced up to see Kinzie fall to the ground. A man stood over her. He kicked Kinzie hard in the stomach causing her to cough out blood.

"You Amazons thought you could get away with it?" the man demanded. He pinned Kinzie by pressing his knee into her chest. He punched her hard in the face.

Hylla slowly turned on her side. Her mind was too muddled to process her injuries. She forced herself to focus on standing. With a bit of effort, she managed to get to her feet. Hylla took a step forward only for her knee to give out.

The daughter of Bellona barely managed to keep from falling on her face. She fell to her hands and knees. Someone kicked her hard in the stomach. Hylla collapsed to her side with a groan of pain.

"Are we taking them to the ship?" the man questioned. Hylla felt someone grabbed her arms and tied them behind her back. She didn't have the strength to resist.

"No," a woman answered. She was standing right over Hylla. "I have other plans for these two."


	6. A Damned Traitor

Hylla looked at the woman in front of her angrily. She didn't even care that there was a knife to her neck. The woman had a long, brown hair and insane, hazel eyes.

"How's the knee feeling?" the woman asked. She kicked Hylla in the knee. Hylla hissed in pain.

"It's perfect," Hylla snapped. She looked at Kinzie. Her friend was unconscious from the beating she had received. Hylla was going to kill this woman.

"Your other friend isn't looking so well," the woman taunted. She stabbed Hylla in the stomach. Hylla cried out and took deep breaths. She spat in the woman's face.

The woman studied her for a moment. She twisted the knife in Hylla stomach and spoke, "You dare disrespect me? You are in for a world of pain Amazon."

"Boudica," a man called as he walked in. The woman turned towards him. "We've had a break in. We think it is one of the Amazons."

"You said we weren't followed," Boudica snapped. The man gulped. "Damn it. You are going to watch these two while I hunt down the Amazon."

"I'll do it," the man promised. Boudica walked out of the room. Hylla gritted her teeth as she was forced to adjust her position to get the pressure off of her injured knee. Her arms were tied above her head.

The man looked at her nervously. Despite the fact that Hylla was tied up, he seemed scared of her. Good. Hylla glared at him angrily.

Hylla looked at Kinzie. She hadn't stirred for the past few minutes. Hylla was starting to get concerned. The daughter of Bellona glared at the ground. She had to get out of there.

Hylla had woken up in the room with her hands tied above her head. There was also the psychopath Boudica who had been torturing Kinzie. Hylla looked around the room angrily. The white walls had peeling paint on them. There was no furniture in the room.

The daughter of Bellona returned her gaze to the ground. After a minute of staring at the ground, Hylla realized that she had no real plan. She shifted again and gritted her teeth. The man glanced at her. He turned as the door open.

Bellatrix stood there. She threw a knife at the man's head. He never stood a chance as it hit him right in the forehead. The man collapsed.

"Newbie," Bellatrix muttered. Her face was bruised, and she looked exhausted. Bellatrix walked towards Hylla and cut the ropes that held her up. Hylla fell to her good knee.

"Who was that woman?" Hylla questioned. She forced herself to stand and limp towards Kinzie's side. She studied her friend sadly.

"Boudica. She was a former Amazon. A damned traitor is the accurate description," Bellatrix answered. She gently cut the ropes that held Kinzie up. Hylla caught her friend and winced in pain.

"I'm sorry," Hylla whispered. She gently laid her friend on the ground. Kinzie was a bloody and bruised mess.

"We need to leave," Bellatrix said. She turned towards the door but froze. Hylla looked up and saw Boudica standing there.

"You didn't even say hello to your baby sister," Boudica said. Hylla's eyes widened. She grabbed the handle of the knife that was still in her stomach and waited.

Bellatrix glared angrily. She seemed frozen though. Hylla knew why. There was no way that Bellatrix could hurt her younger sister even if she had been betrayed by her.

"Back off," Hylla warned. She kept herself from wincing as she pulled the knife out of her stomach. Boudica laughed. Hylla threw the knife at her. It barely missed.

Boudica lunged at her. Bellatrix caught her younger sister and threw her at the wall. Boudica glared at them. The two sisters watched each other.

"Newbie," Bellatrix began. She looked at Hylla. "Take Kinzie and leave."

"It's not that easy," Boudica hissed. She tried to stand, but Bellatrix tackled her into the wall. The two sisters fought each other.

Hylla gritted her teeth as she picked Kinzie up bridal style. Her knee almost gave out. She would have to ignore it. Hylla did her best to limp out of the room.

The daughter of Bellona looked around the destroyed hallway. They had to be in an abandoned building. Hylla gritted her teeth as she walked. Her knee was going to give out on her soon.

Hylla made it only a few feet till she collapsed to her good knee. There was no way she could carry Kinzie out of there. Hylla tried to wake her friend up.

"Kinzie," Hylla whispered. She laid Kinzie on the ground. Hylla placed a hand to her bleeding stomach. "You have to wake up."

The sound of footsteps caught Hylla's attention. She looked up and tackled a man to the ground. Hylla punched him hard in the face and wrapped her hands around his neck.

"Where is the exit?" Hylla demanded. She loosened her grip just enough for him to respond. The man looked terrified, but he didn't answer. Hylla tightened her grip once again. "Where?"

"Screw you," the man spat. Hylla felt her anger take over. She snapped the man's neck. It took her a moment to realize what she had done.

Hylla stared for a moment. She stood and backed away. Hylla looked away feeling sick as the man didn't move. She had killed a few pirates before, but that was to try and protect her little sister.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to search the man. He had a wallet and nothing else. Hylla cursed and stood. She looked at Kinzie who had turned on her side.

"Kinzie," Hylla whispered. She grabbed her friend's arm. Kinzie slowly opened her eyes.

"Hylla?" Kinzie asked. Hylla slowly helped Kinzie stand. "What happened?"

"We need to go," Hylla answered. She saw Kinzie look down at the man and back at her. Hylla looked away and tried to ignore the guilt that she felt. She knew that she had anger issues, but she never thought that it was that bad.

"You had to," Kinzie said. She turned away and coughed up blood. "That's not good."

"Let's get you out of here," Hylla muttered. She grabbed Kinzie to hold her up. Kinzie leaned on her, and they both limped down the hallway.

"I tried pulling you from the wreckage," Kinzie whispered. She coughed again.

"Don't talk," Hylla ordered. She pushed open a door and stared. A large man turned towards her. He was built like brick wall. Hylla didn't know how to react, so she stepped out of the room and closed the door.

Hylla tried to keep the door closed with one hand. The door was opened only a moment later despite Hylla's best efforts. Kinzie pulled away from her and leaned on a wall.

"You can take him," Kinzie said. Hylla didn't share her feelings as she stared at the man. He was twice her size. The man swung. Hylla ducked under it and heard the sound of a wall being punched in.

Hylla punched him hard in the face. It was like punching a wall. She gritted her teeth The man kicked her hard in her knee. Hylla's knee could no longer hold her weight, and she fell forward.

The man caught her by her shirt and threw her into the room. Hylla slammed into weights that had been set up. She groaned. The man walked towards her He grabbed Hylla by her neck and picked her up.

Hitting his hands did nothing. He just tightened his grip. Hylla couldn't breath. The man smirked and spoke, "You Amazons are nothing."

The man suddenly gasped and dropped Hylla. She fell to the ground and tried to breath. When Hylla looked up, she saw Kinzie pull her sword out of the man's back. He turned towards her and glared.

"Leave her alone," Kinzie gasped. The man punched her hard in the face. Kinzie collapsed. Hylla grabbed a weight and slammed it into the back of the man's head. He collapsed to the ground.

Hylla collapsed next to him. She coughed painfully. Hylla laid her head back and placed a hand to her stomach. A few moments passed before she heard footsteps.

"Newbie," Bellatrix muttered. She knelt by Hylla. "Can you walk?"

"I'm fine," Hylla replied. She slowly tried to stand. Bellatrix pulled her to her feet.

"Good," Bellatrix said. "Emma is probably going to kill us when we get back. I'll get Kinzie. Let's go."


	7. The Infirmary

Queen Emma was not happy to see them. In fact, she looked ready to kill them. Hylla just wanted to find a bed and fall asleep. Her entire body ached.

"It was Boudica. She orchestrated the attack," Bellatrix explained. She had finished telling the story of her heroic rescue. Apparently, Boudica had left her alone because she seemed like she was dead. Bellatrix had woken up and managed to track them to the office building.

Hylla remained silent while the story was told. Her mind was focused on Kinzie. She had passed out after being punched in the face. Hylla was pissed at herself for not being able to protect her friend.

"What are we going to do about her?" Hylla demanded. Emma turned on her and glared.

"Don't ever speak in my presence again without my permission," Emma ordered. Her hand was gripping a dagger. Hylla leaned forward. Her temper was starting to take over.

"Enough," Bellatrix ordered as she looked at Hylla. "We lost two good Amazons because of your recklessness."

Hylla bit her tongue to keep from speaking out. She stared at the ground. Emma sat forward and spoke, "Tell me exactly what happened."

Hylla told them everything that had happened that day. She didn't leave out any details besides her conversations with Kinzie. Emma listened closely before leaning back.

"You couldn't have known about the bomb being moved," Emma muttered. She was studying Hylla closely. "Go to the doctor. Bellatrix, we must have a discussion."

Hylla stood and walked out. She placed a hand to her stomach. There was a bloody bandage on her stomach. It had been a quick fix to avoid Hylla bleeding out.

The daughter of Bellona walked down the hallway. She ignored the curious glances that she got. Of course, everyone knew what had happened even if they didn't know the specifics. Hylla walked till she got to the infirmary.

A man in a jumpsuit was at the desk. He had a collar around his neck. The man had to be around twenty just because of his size. He had black, shaggy hair. His eyes were a light shade of brown.

"Hylla, correct?" the man asked. Hylla nodded. "The doctor is ready for you."

The man led Hylla away. She had no choice but to follow him. Hylla followed him into a room and stopped as she saw Kinzie.

"Hylla, how are you?" Kinzie asked. The bruises on her face had faded away, and she looked much better. The doctor turned to face Hylla.

The doctor was a burly woman. She had black hair in a bun and dark, brown eyes. She had an accent that Hylla couldn't place. From the name tag that she had, her name was Lykke.

"Sit," Lykke ordered. Hylla could tell that Lykke had learned English as a second language, and she was still trying to get use to the language. Hylla still had traces of her Spanish accent. It only really came out when she was angry.

Hylla sat on a bed next to Kinzie. She looked at her friend and spoke, "I'm good. How are you?"

"Better," Kinzie replied. "That was too close of a call."

"Yeah," Hylla agreed. Lykke laid her back and lifted her shirt. Hylla focused her gaze on the ceiling. "Did you know that the woman is Bellatrix's sister?"

"Everyone knows," Lykke interrupted. She stood there for a moment as if she was pondering the English words. "She was an Amazon until a few months ago. Boudica led five veteran Amazons into a trap and had them all slaughtered."

"Bellatrix was devastated," Kinzie added. "She tore apart the gym when she found out. Our former queen had her interrogated to see if she knew anything."

Hylla nodded but winced in pain as Lykke cleaned her wound. The doctor was gentle which is was nice. Hylla had been to a pirate doctor a few times. They were not gentle.

"We are going to put a bandage on instead of anything else. It should not hurt anything unless you do not rest," Lykke informed. She grabbed a bandage. "What else is hurt?"

"Knee," Hylla answered. She gritted her teeth as Lykke touched her knee. The doctor glared at her.

"Why are you walking on this?" Lykke demanded. Hylla groaned as Lykke felt her knee. She didn't give a response. Kinzie watched her in concern.

"How bad is it?" Kinzie asked. She tried to sit up but groaned in pain. Lykke shot her a look.

"You injured your PCL," Lykke reported as she looked at Hylla. She walked towards a pad and started writing words down. "You will need a knee brace and rest for a few days. No training and no sparring."

"What am I suppose to do?" Hylla questioned.

"Paperwork," Lykke responded. She walked out. Hylla groaned and looked at Kinzie.

"How are you?" Hylla asked. She didn't try to hide her concern. Kinzie smiled at her.

"I feel a lot better. I swear," Kinzie replied. "We're going to be stuck on bed duty. Emma will punish us for what happened. Bellatrix will probably tear down another room and use it to rebuild Big Bertha."

Hylla stared wondering if Kinzie was serious. She nodded to show how serious she was. Hylla raised an eyebrow.

Lykke walked back into the room. She silently put the brace on Hylla. The daughter of Bellona closed her eyes. She didn't even know what a PCL was. She just hoped that it wasn't too serious.

"So, I can go sparring after this?" Hylla questioned. She barely kept from smirking.

"If you do, I will give you so much pain medicine that you will not be able to remember your name," Lykke threatened. She fixed the brace.

"Alcohol does that too," Hylla said with a shrug. Kinzie gave her a fist bump. "Do we get alcohol here?"

"You're underage," Lykke muttered. She crossed her arms.

"Not in some countries," Kinzie corrected. Lykke glared at them and walked out. "We make a great duo."

"We do," Hylla agreed. She laid back on the cot tiredly. "Will I get in trouble if I fall asleep here?"

"If Lykke didn't give you permission to, you will," Kinzie answered. "I'm on bed rest."

"What are your injuries?" Hylla asked. She closed her eyes tiredly. Hylla was probably going to fall asleep soon.

"Too many to list," Kinzie replied. "Doesn't matter. We'll probably have enough time to rest up before Emma hits us with some horrible punishment."

Hylla groaned. It wasn't her fault that two Amazons had died. She followed Bellatrix's instructions to the letter.

Kinzie shifted and groaned. It was clear that she was in more pain that she was letting on. Hylla spoke, "Emma can't think of a terrible punishment for us. It will probably be something boring."

"I hope she sends us to deliver packages to Camp Half-Blood," Kinzie said tiredly. "Chiron, who is the dude from the stories, is always nice to us. We get freaking brownies. Wait, I think that's at Camp Jupiter."

"Brownies are great," Hylla muttered. She could tell that she only had a few moments of consciousness left. Hylla adjusted herself before she fell into a dreamless sleep.


	8. Punishment

Hylla was wrong. She had probably never been so wrong in her life. Emma had managed to find the most boring, mundane, and inane task in the world.

"I bet your smart mouth got us into this," Kinzie commented. She was having fun spinning around in her chair. Hylla had to sit in a stupid chair that didn't spin. The daughter of Bellona stared at the paperwork in front of her.

Numbers were floating off of the page. Hylla kept reading 69 instead of 96 which was just terribly disappointing. She groaned and looked at the paperwork they still had to do. Hylla turned her head to look at the paper they had finished.

There was a paper for each delivery truck. The number of the truck was on the top right of the page. One column was for the amount of supplies and the amount paid. There was other words that didn't interest Hylla.

"Why haven't we finished more?" Hylla questioned. "We've been here for two hours."

"It's been twenty minutes," Kinzie said. She raised an eyebrow. "You have no patience."

Hylla couldn't argue with that. She adjusted the brace on her knee. Hylla hated the brace. She had been wearing it for two days.

Kinzie was doing much better. She was still not allowed to do much work. Hylla leaned back and groaned in pain. She spoke, "What is this paperwork anyway?"

"Records for all the deliveries we have made," Kinzie answered. She finished a paper before looking at Hylla. "Can I ask you something personal?"

Hylla hesitated for a moment. She finally nodded. Hylla knew she could trust Kinzie. They were friends after all.

"Why didn't you go with your sister to Camp Jupiter?" Kinzie wondered. Hylla looked down at the paper. She considered her answer.

"Circe told me a lot about the Amazons while I was at the island," Hylla answered. She leaned back in her seat. "I never really liked men because of my father. Circe just helped nurture that distrust."

"Can't blame her," Kinzie commented. She had an angry look in her eyes. "Men are assholes."

"Reyna just has Roman in her blood. She's more like our mother than I am," Hylla explained. "Amazons just felt right."

"Have you always known you were a demigod?" Kinzie questioned. Hylla nodded. "Did you get into a lot of fights with monsters? I know that you become more susceptible to attacks once you learn."

Hylla considered it as she worked on the papers. She spoke, "I'm not sure honestly. My father was able to destroy monsters himself. I just focused on protecting my sister from his rage."

Hylla bit her tongue before she could say more. She leaned back in her seat. Hylla closed her eyes for a few moments. She spoke, "What about you?"

"What about me?" Kinzie wondered. She was biting her lip in concentration. Hylla noticed that it was a habit of her friend.

"How did you learn you were a demigod?" Hylla questioned. Kinzie smiled as she thought about it. She leaned back and put the paperwork down.

"I was in seventh grade at the time. We were giving presentations about a foreign country. I got France. They suck," Kinzie grumbled. "I spent two weeks trying to find something interesting about the stupid country after Napoleon was in power."

"You're going off topic," Hylla commented. Kinzie grumbled something about France under her breath.

"Anyway, I had to give my presentation in front of the entire class. I hated public speeches," Kinzie explained. Hylla smirked. "If you say anything, I will kill you."

"You like to talk," Hylla began. Kinzie punched her hard in the arm. Hylla gasped in mock shock. "You hurt my feelings."

"What feelings?" Kinzie questioned. She started laughing after a moment. "I hated talking in front of that class because they were jerks. The teacher hated me as well."

"The day that I gave my presentation was my birthday. I didn't realize my mother would give me a gift," Kinzie explained. She leaned forward and winced. "I was halfway through my presentation when I remembered that I should use my hands to emphasize my point."

"Well, I didn't realize my mother had already given me my gift. When I waved my hand, a sword appeared in it, but my hands were really sweaty because I was so nervous," Kinzie continued. "The sword flew out of my hand and hit the teacher. She disintegrated on the spot."

Hylla started laughing. Kinzie joined in after a moment. It took both of them a few moments to calm down. Hylla focused back on her paperwork.

Hylla frowned. She grabbed another piece of paper that was already completed. Hylla started comparing the numbers to other papers. She grabbed the paper out of Kinzie's hands.

"What are you doing?" Kinzie questioned. Hylla circled the numbers and showed it to Kinzie. Her friend raised an eyebrow. "I don't get it."

"These four places get their deliveries by the same truck. They all get the same thing every month, but for some reason, three of these companies are reporting a crate missing," Hylla explained. "If it keeps happening, I don't think it's a coincidence. Do these papers get checked by anyone?"

"Of course," Kinzie responded. "There is one person who works on this. We need to tell Emma."

Kinzie tried to stand, but her face paled. Hylla slowly stood. She gripped her crutches. Kinzie handed her the papers.

"Don't let her intimidate you," Kinzie ordered. Hylla laughed and adjusted the papers. She was not scared of Emma. Hylla nodded to Kinzie and started to walk away.

It only took Hylla one minute to hate the crutches. She moved at a fourth of the speed that she usually did. Hylla would probably turn fifty before she made it to Emma's office.

Luckily, Hylla saw the queen of the Amazons talking to Jessica and Bellatrix. They looked like they were deep in conversation. Hylla stopped walking and waited. She was just out of earshot, but she couldn't risk making Emma angry.

After a few moments, Emma glanced up at her. She walked towards Hylla and spoke, "I thought you were on punishment."

Hylla slowly handed Emma the papers. The queen of the Amazons examined her. An eyebrow raised, but after a few moments, anger showed in her eyes.

"Find Sierra and bring her to me," Emma ordered as she looked at Jessica. The Amazon nodded and rushed away. Hylla shifted on her crutches and waited for orders.

Emma slowly looked at her. She spoke, "I want all of the papers done as soon as possible. You will give them to me. After that, Kinzie will train you to handle the front desk."

Hylla nodded. She understood that her punishment had just turned into a job. Hylla waited for Emma to say more, but she just turned back towards Bellatrix.

Hylla took that as her clear dismissal. She started to walk away, but someone grabbed her shoulder. Hylla glanced back to see Bellatrix.

"We need to talk," Bellatrix said. She nodded to Emma and led Hylla into a room. Bellatrix turned on the daughter of Bellona.

"Do you know what it is like?" Bellatrix whispered. "Do you understand the agonizing pain of your sister being a traitor? I've had to deal with it for so long."

Hylla remained silent. She didn't know what to say. Hylla could never imagine her younger sister being a traitor. Thinking about her younger sister sent anger and sadness tearing through her.

"Why would she attack us?" Hylla slowly asked.

"She's insane," Bellatrix muttered. She shook her head angrily. "You are going to be helping me more on deliveries. With the disaster aside, you did well. The other Amazons love to complain."

"I'm just doing my job," Hylla said. Bellatrix nodded. There was an odd look on her face. She looked away.

"Hylla, you have a sister, correct?" Bellatrix questioned. Hylla nodded. "You should stay in contact with her. There is nothing worse than losing a family member."

Hylla didn't answer. The last thing she wanted to do was talk with Reyna. There was too many harsh and angry feelings.

"I'll keep it in mind," Hylla grumbled. She crossed her arms. Bellatrix watched her and nodded. She finally walked away.

It took Hylla a few moments to readjust the grip on her crutches. She slowly walked back to the room where Kinzie was. Kinzie was examining the papers and talking to herself.

"We need to finish this as soon as possible," Hylla said. She sat down. "Emma said that you'll be teaching me about the front desk, and Bellatrix wants me to help on deliveries."

"You're going to be at the front desk?" Kinzie questioned. Her eyes were wide.

"Is that bad?" Hylla wondered. Kinzie looked down and started laughing.

"You are going to get in so much trouble," Kinzie said as she tried to stop laughing. "You have to be nice and respectful. Do you even know what those words mean?"

Hylla rolled her eyes. Kinzie stopped laughing and winked at her. She spoke, "It will be fun. With luck, you can meet some of the gods and goddesses who come to us."

Hylla nodded. She smiled at Kinzie to show that no harm was done. Hylla finally went back to working on the paperwork. Her mind was drifting to what had happened and what would happen. Truthfully, she missed being back on Circe's island with her younger sister.

"You okay?" Kinzie questioned. She looked concerned.

"I'm perfect," Hylla lied. She cleared her mind and looked back at her paperwork. It would do to dwell on the past. She had to focus on the future.


	9. May

"The wild Hylla stalks her prey. She watches him approach. In fact, she is licking her lips and waiting. Soon, her prey will be in sight," Kinzie said. Hylla rolled her eyes annoyed.

"It's a mailman," Hylla muttered under her breath. She was careful to not move her lips because the mailman was about to open the door. "You're going to terrorize him."

"I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't," Kinzie joked. She smiled as the mailman opened the door. Hylla didn't smile. She scanned the man for threats.

It was only a mortal by the looks of him. She couldn't be too sure though. It was her first week on front desk duty. Hylla had almost been killed twice.

The first time was because an overzealous Amazon had ran into the lobby with a box of Greek fire. She had then tripped over the carpet. The only reason they were alive was because Kinzie had jumped over the counter and dove for the package. It wasn't a fun day.

The second time was a cyclops literally rushing the front door. That was an easy kill because it ran right into the glass and bounced off. Hylla still wanted to know how a cyclops even found them. She snapped out of her thoughts as the mailman walked towards them.

"Morning," the mailman greeted. He placed a package on the counter. "I need a signature. There's also a letter here for a Hylla."

Hylla's eyes shot up. She studied the mailman who rifled through his bag. He pulled out a letter and placed it on the counter. Hylla instantly recognized her sister's handwriting. Her jaw clenched.

Kinzie glanced at her as she signed for the package. She was obviously trying to look not interested. Hylla didn't pay attention though. She was trying to deal with her whirlwind of emotions.

It had not been pretty the last time she had seen Reyna. Her younger sister insisted that they needed to go to Camp Jupiter. Hylla knew in her heart that the Amazons was where she belonged. Reyna refused to see that.

Words were said. Insults were traded. A punch may also have been thrown. The memory sent regret through Hylla. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

"You okay?" Kinzie questioned. Hylla opened her eyes and nodded. She folded the envelope up and slipped it into her pocket. There would be a time for that later.

"What do we do with the package?" Hylla asked. She leaned on the counter. Kinzie watched her for a moment. She picked it up and read the name.

"It's going to May," Kinzie said. She seemed to blush.

"Is that the one you can't shut up about?" Hylla questioned. She looked at Kinzie and received a hard punch to the shoulder. "What? You can't stop writing about her in your journal."

"I don't have a journal," Kinzie countered. Hylla raised an eyebrow and tried to restrain herself from laughing. "I'll punch you again."

"Just ask her out," Hylla said. She leaned on the counter. "It's not that hard."

"I don't even know if she likes chicks," Kinzie began. Hylla held up a hand. There was no way she was going to listen to excuses.

"How about this? You make a paper that is titled things in this room that are not straight. At the top, you write your name then hand it to her," Hylla suggested.

"That's stupid," Kinzie said.

"So is being single," Hylla commented.

"You're single," Kinzie countered with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not fawning over some random chick though," Hylla said with a sigh. "It's not that hard to flirt. Does she like shopping and sales?"

"Probably," Kinzie answered. "Why?"

"You can tell her that there is a sale in your room," Hylla answered with a wicked smile. "Clothes are one hundred percent off."

Hylla winced as Kinzie punched her hard in the shoulder. She probably deserved that, but it was totally worth it. Kinzie rubber her knuckles.

"Your shoulder is as hard as your head," Kinzie complained.

"Your hand is as soft as your ego," Hylla countered. She smirked. "Do you want me to deliver the package to May?"

Kinzie nodded. She handed the package to Hylla and spoke, "Was that a letter from your sister?"

"Yeah," Hylla said after a moment.

"Why don't you open it?" Kinzie wondered. "She's probably worried about you and misses you."

Hylla shook her head. She just walked away. It wasn't hard to clear her mind and stay away from unpleasant thoughts. The letter would probably just cause a lot more trouble than she wanted to deal with. Hylla would open the letter. Eventually.

Hylla only got lost twice, but she managed to find her way to the cafeteria. There was no reason she should have known where May was.

Kinzie was kind of a stalker though because she knew that May ate lunch at the same time every day. It had been in Kinzie's journal. Hylla may have accidentally read it when it was open.

It took a few moments to find May among the crowd of Amazons. Most of them were enjoying their lunch. Hylla walked towards May.

May wasn't the prettiest girl in the world, but Hylla knew that she was really smart and charming. At least, Kinzie wouldn't stop saying that. Hylla didn't doubt it. She really didn't care as well.

As Hylla approached, May and her group of friends looked up. May was a red head with hazel eyes. Hylla thought that the red was from dye, but she really didn't know.

"Package," Hylla said. She held it out. May smiled and took it.

"Thank you," May said. She looked at Hylla and frowned. "Are you the Amazon that recently joined?"

"Probably," Hylla replied. May motioned for her to sit. Hylla hesitated before she finally sat down. The two studied each other.

"I'm guessing you haven't been able to sit back and take a deep breath," May began. She smiled at Hylla. "I know that its a lot to take in."

"It is," Hylla confirmed. She tried to keep the suspicion out of her voice. Most of the Amazons that Hylla had interacted with just wanted to find another foot hole to get to the top. She wanted to relax, but that wouldn't be smart.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about us," May said in a low voice as if she could read Hylla's mind. "We're not like that. Ambition is the last thing we care about. Lynn over there is a daughter of Hypnos. She carries her shield around for a pillow."

"Is there anything wrong with that?" a girl, presumably Lynn, wondered. Her face was resting on a shield, and one hand was trying to lift a fry to her mouth.

"No," May responded with a laugh. "Anyway, I also do deliveries. I heard about what happened on your first delivery. Sorry that it went down that way."

"Bellatrix is gonna spend forever rebuilding that damned truck," one of the others commented. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Are you on break?" May asked. The others started their own conversations, but they did glance back at Hylla. It was nice to see that they looked curious instead of angry.

"No," Hylla answered. She slowly stood. "I need to get back to the front desk though."

"You and Kinzie will have to hang out with us sometimes," May began. Hylla hid her smile. She was definitely right about May liking Kinzie, and now, she could brag about it.

"We will," Hylla promised. She nodded to the other Amazons and turned away. Hylla walked back towards the front desk and mentally reviewed her schedule.

Hylla had to train with Kinzie. She also needed to work on her fighting techniques just in case things went south during a delivery. Inventory training was also going to kick in as well.

Truthfully, Hylla was excited. She couldn't wait to get into a routine. It sounded weird, but most of her life had been hectic. Being able to have a routine would be nice.

Kinzie nodded to Hylla. The daughter of Bellona smiled slightly. She walked towards Kinzie and spoke, "May totally likes you."

"Did you ask her?" Kinzie demanded. She sighed exasperated.

"No," Hylla answered. "May just wants to hang out with us sometime. You should really just ask her outs. What's the worst that can happen?"

"She rejects me in front of everyone or laughs in my face. We actually date, and things go downhill," Kinzie responded. "It would be better to just jump off of a bridge."

"Isn't there a bridge not far from here?" Hylla wondered. She smiled at Kinzie's annoyed look. Hylla looked down at her pocket that held the letter from her little sister. A glance up kept her mind off of it.

"I'll ask her out," Kinzie finally decided. "You better not be wrong about all of this."

"I'm never wrong," Hylla teased. "Now, should we finish our shift, so we can get some lunch?"

"Of course," Kinzie replied. She smiled at Hylla and turned back to look at the door. Hylla looked at the front door as well and sighed tiredly. All she really wanted was some food and sleep.


End file.
